Hot off the press: HLINks – our essential sector news, including on COVID-19, new Housing LIN factsheet and briefing and so much more
Jeremy talks…
I couldn’t resist sharing this message I received on Wednesday afternoon.....
“Great conference, thought it went really well. Strong content and seamless technology. We may have just seen the future of conferencing!”
Ed Warner, Motionspot
This week’s virtual conference, Recover / Reset / Regenerate, with Foundations and ADASS, was indeed a great success. With over 900 people registered to watch and listen over the day, we were treated to a feast of top speakers from housing, homelessness, health and adult social care, starting with a video message from Housing and Homeless Minister, Luke Hall MP.
A joint post-conference briefing capturing the key messages of lessons learned under COVID-19 and recommendations to government to rebuild is being prepared. However, what came across to me was the importance of listening to the voice of people with lived experience in order to tackle inequalities and improve the quality of our housing, care and support.
As James Bullion, the new President of ADASS set out in his address: we want greater housing rights to protect the most vulnerable and prevent homelessness; smarter choices to support people at home with access to appropriate care, technology, aids and adaptations; more supply of age-friendly HAPPI designed housing, including expanded provision of extra care housing; closer working across social care, health & housing as set out in the cross-sector MoU; and a funded housing approach to transforming care to achieve the housing support demands by people with complex needs. To this end, we are delighted to sign up to the NHF’s Homes at the Heart campaign calling for more investment in social housing, including where it delivers better health outcomes.
If you would like to talk with us about any matters highlighted and/or share learning about your work, email: info@housinglin.org.uk
And you can now also listen to Jeremy talks… here
New Housing LIN Products:
Design Principles for Extra Care Housing
This updated Housing LIN Factsheet no 6 describes key design principles and issues to consider when developing a brief for a new Extra Care Housing development.
Written by PRP Architects, the new version takes into account the progress made in designing extra care housing to the HAPPI design quality principles and latest accessibility requirements for an ageing population, including with COVID-19 in mind and from Grenfell.
COVID-19 Practice Briefing - Supporting Residents in Retirement Housing and Extra Care Housing who experience Loneliness
Our new COVID-19 Practice Briefing (No6) is a joint briefing with the RHG and ARCO, ARHM and the HBF. It sets out who is deemed “extremely vulnerable” and, in the light of latest Government guidance on shielding, provides a section with an A-Z of examples of practice of how residents in retirement/sheltered and extra care housing are experiencing loneliness and isolation and the creative ways in which operators have organised a range of scheme based and virtual activities to support their independence, health and wellbeing and keep connected during the pandemic.
Coronavirus Update
A selection of COVID-19 news that are relevant for our sector include:
- Government Press Release: Plans to ease guidance for over 2 million shielding
- LGA/ADASS Covid19 Briefing Note – Financial Aspects of Direct Payments and support for Personal Assistants
And remember, check out on our Coronavirus Info Hub for a range of Housing LIN practice briefings for the sector and links to other useful information and websites.
Also, post or reply to questions on our discussion forum. It allows you to share information, raise issues and ask questions to solve a tricky issue. For example, can you share your organisation’s COVID-19 risk plan in preparation for the 2nd wave or information about how you are engaging with residents?
Housing, Community, Disability, and Ageing
- Housing LIN signs letter on Stamp Duty and Retirement Housing to support downsizing
- MHCLG announcement: £105 million to keep rough sleepers safe and off the streets during coronavirus pandemic
- BBC Radio4 Women's Hour: R4 Rethink: how might we design our world better post Covid?
- LGA feature: Councils can lead post-COVID-19 'inclusive' recovery
- Winston Churchill Memorial Trust report: Alternatives to Long Term Institutional Care for Older People
- Erosh guide (Erosh members only): How to…. Engage Residents in Sheltered & Retirement Housing
Opinion pieces and blogs:
- Centre for Ageing Better blog: Lockdown could leave next generation of retirees poorer and sicker than the last
- Agile Ageing Alliance article: Ageing Societies: Act Local Think Global. It's time to flip the switch
- Community Circles blog: Circles Connected Our journey
- The Times article (registration required): Don’t talk about the weather with Granny, talk parties, snogging and Tinder
Transforming accessible design
Fine & Able
The UK’s leading accessible design specialist Motionspot launched a new consumer range of accessible bathrooms and kitchens this week Fine & Able. With funding from Innovate UK, it has been built in just eight weeks to combat the lack of home adaptations due to Covid-19.
Fine & Able have identified that there are 1.5 million Covid-19 vulnerable people and the 12 million people living with a disability requiring adaptations to bathrooms and kitchens to make their homes safer. In addition to offering expert advice on what is required to create a beautifully accessible home, Fine & Able will manufacture and retail stylish products for bathrooms and kitchens including grab rails, sanitaryware and brassware, slip resistant floor tiles, shower enclosures, rise and fall worktops, adjustable height kitchen cabinets and accessible appliances. Through the use of innovative technology including online video assessments, building surveys and ongoing advice, Fine & Able will offer the support customers require to plan and fit out their homes to improve independence without compromising aesthetics.
Design and Technology
Opinion pieces and blogs:
- Design Council blog: The Design of Homes post-Covid
- Morgan Sindall feature: Tackling loneliness and social isolation amongst older people has long been a talking point in the later living sector, but as we navigate unprecedented times, how we communicate and engage with others is more important than ever.
- dispATches article: The pandemic will have a lasting impact on how older people use technology
Health and care
Opinion pieces and blogs:
- King’s Fund blog: Resilience is much more than hospital beds
- BMJ article: David Oliver: Preventing more deaths in care homes in a second pandemic surge
- Sussex Health and Care Partnership leaflet: Patient Home Environment Checklist: Make your home falls free
- Geography Directions blog: Health is made at home; why we need a Healthy Homes Act
Dementia
Planning tracker
Older People’s Care Development – Local Development Plan Monitoring
In association with Tetlow King Planning, this document monitors current local authority planning consultations that may be of interest for those seeking to develop housing for older people. The tracker is updated fortnightly.
Wales
Welsh government guidance on COVID-19 can be found here.
Other news include:
- Welsh Government Social Care Wales survey (deadline 6 July): Setting priorities for social care research in Wales
Scotland
Scottish government guidance on COVID-19 can be found here.
Other news include:
- Scottish Human Rights Commission report: Housing Rights in Practice: Lessons learned from Leith
- Scotland Care Futures survey (from 29 June): Building our collective care future
Other upcoming Events
Housing LIN Events
In light of the coronavirus outbreak we have cancelled all our upcoming regional meetings and training courses until further notice. We are currently exploring how to hold these events online, so watch this space!
In the meantime, we are pleased to be involved/support the following virtual events:
Have your say
This autumn, Dunhill Medical Trust (sponsors of our Design Hub) will be launching their new 5 year plan. To this end, they are inviting views to help them shape their future strategy and call.
Next week
We look forward to promoting a new digital survey on behalf of Appello and releasing 2 new COVID-19 related guest blogs. The first on Care Hotels by PRP’s Anne-Marie Nicholson on the scope for their development to provide a better step down facility for older adults following a hospital stay. And, the second, Thirteen’s Chris Smith, on the value of sheltered housing under lockdown.
The Housing LIN would like to thank Willmott Dixon for their support in producing this newsletter.